BRAINCAKEFungi as Pathogens
Fungi are eukaryotic organisms with cell walls made of chitin. Most are made of thin, branching threads called hyphae, which together form a network called a mycelium. Fungi are heterotrophic: they secrete enzymes onto their food and absorb the soluble products (extracellular digestion). Most fungi are saprotrophs that feed on dead matter, but some are parasites that feed on living organisms and cause disease.
Fungi produce huge numbers of tiny, lightweight spores, which are easily carried by wind, water, animals or contact. Spores germinate when they land in warm, moist conditions, and hyphae then grow into the host tissue.
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Key terms in this lesson
- chitin
- A tough structural polysaccharide that makes up fungal cell walls and the exoskeletons of insects.
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All 17 lessons in Viruses, Fungi and Protozoa · All Edexcel A-level Biology topics